Nine Ways to Protect Your Peepers

Of course, no one wants to lose his or her eyesight. But, at the same time, most people take their eyesight for granted. They don’t get their eyes checked; they don’t wear protective eyewear when performing tasks such as weed whacking or playing sports; they don’t wear sunglasses; and on and on.

At Central Valley Eye Medical Group, your vision is our obsession. We not only help our patients with vision problems such as dry eye or macular degeneration, but we also give you ways to help keep your eyes healthy. Protecting them isn’t difficult. Here are nine tips you should incorporate into your life to keep your eyes as healthy as they can be.

1. Know your family history of eye disease— Find out if you are at higher risk for issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Are you over 65 or African-American over 40? Any of those traits can make you at a higher risk for eye disease, making regular eye exams with the team at Central Valley even more important.
2. Have regular physical exams to check your blood pressure and possible diabetes— Patients sometimes wonder why we take their blood pressure when they come in for an eye exam. This is because high blood pressure, along with diabetes, can lead to eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.
3. Watch for changes in your vision— Double vision, trouble seeing in low light, red eyes, frequent flashes of light, new floaters, eye pain. All of these symptoms need immediate attention.
4. Protect your eyes from the sun— Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays. Why? UV rays cause cataracts and other eye problems.
5. Eat better— Studies are showing that eating antioxidants such as blueberries and broccoli can reduce the risk of developing cataracts. And eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration.
6. Exercise more— Regular exercise can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration by up to 70 percent.
7. Don’t smoke— Smokers are more prone to developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, uveitis, and other eye problems.
8. Get your eyes checked at least every two years— Many eye conditions don’t present symptoms until they are already beginning to damage your vision. But a comprehensive eye exam, including dilating your pupils, can determine your risk of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.
9. Wear protective eyewear— When playing sports, working with tools, doing yard work and the like, wear protective eyewear. This pretty much speaks for itself.

Call us at Central Valley Eye Medical Group, (800) 244-9907, to schedule your next eye exam.

Posted in: Eye Care, Eye Health